FOUR days of golfing action begins today as the delayed Irish Open tees off in Co Antrim, but with no spectators in attendance.
The golf tournament, one of the European Tour's flagship events, takes place at Galgorm Castle Golf Club in Ballymena during what should have been Ryder Cup week.
But none of the north's major champions are competing this year.
New dad Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke are both absent, while Graeme McDowell, who was due to be tournament host, will miss the competition for the first time in 19 years.
Defending Irish Open winner Jon Rahm, who has secured the title in two of the last three years, is also not playing.
But Open Champion Shane Lowry is set to lead the way for Irish golfers - it will be his first return to Northern Ireland since his triumphant win at Royal Portrush last year - while Europe Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington is also set to make a competitive return to golf after a seven-month absence.
The tournament had originally been scheduled to be held at the Mount Juliet Estate in Co Kilkenny in May, but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, it was announced that the competition would move to a Northern Ireland golf course due to the Republic's quarantine rules.
It is understood the change in venue has allowed competitors to travel from the US Open without the need to quarantine.
Current Irish government restrictions mean that anyone arriving into the Republic from America would be required to self-isolate for 14 days. No such restrictions currently apply in Northern Ireland.
This will mark Galgorm Castle's European Tour debut and comes just weeks after the Challenge Tour's Northern Ireland Open was held at the same venue - the sixth time that tournament has been played at the Ballymena course.
It also marks the fourth time that the Irish Open is being held in Northern Ireland in the past nine years, with Royal Portrush, Royal County Down and Portstewart among the previous venues.
But the European Tour temporarily suspended ticket sales for all its events, including the Irish Open at Galgorm amid the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, which means no spectators will be allowed into the venue.
Co Offaly golfer Lowry is among the favourites to win the title this weekend.
He will play alongside South African George Coetzee and Australia's Lucas Herbert for the opening two rounds today, teeing off at 9.25am with Harrington out of the course at 1pm.
Among other golfers set to compete are Paul Dunne from Co Wicklow, South Africa's Wilcon Nienaber and New Zealand's Ryan Fox.
